This invention relates to an economical retrofit urinal attachment for a commode, designed particularly for male use. Quite commonly the male will raise both lids on a commode for urinary use. And quite commonly there will be objectionable splashing and perhaps objectionable allowance of both lids to remain in the upright position.
The objectives of our invention include:
a) a commode retrofit primarily for male urinary use, PA1 b) a variable height unit to allow use by a child as well as an adult, PA1 c) a unit with flush ring to use a minimum amount of water while completely flushing the unit, PA1 d) having a unit that requires minimal space, PA1 e) having a unit that requires no commode modification, PA1 f) having a unit that has no lines or pipes inside the commode and, PA1 g) having a minimum water usage unit. PA1 a) a base plate that would normally be sized to fit under the base of the commode or in one embodiment protrude a short distance out from under the commode base. Base plates in each embodiment have a central opening that fits over the commode drain and an opening leading through the base plate to provide a drain into the commode drain, PA1 b) a water tight connection to the opening in the edge of the base plate or to an opening in the base plate to mount a multiple connector pot, PA1 c) an open cup shaped alternate urine receptacle with a flush ring therein connected with a limited travel semi-rigid drain line that leads to a vapor trap within the connector pot, PA1 d) a water flush line leading from the water supply valve to the alternate urinal receptacle through a sidewall of the connector pot and through the drain line from the alternate urinal receptacle to a push button valve in the line to the flush ring. PA1 a) a base plate normally being about one inch thick with a minimum thickness of about one half inch. This plate is preferably made of a plastic such as Corian.TM. with a milled decorative edge and sized to match a commode base. The base would have a central opening and seal rings to seal between the commode base and base plate and between the base plate and a top portion of a floor drain. There is an opening through the base from the central opening to an exterior edge. This opening leads to the rear of the base in one embodiment and to either side in other embodiments; PA1 b) a multiple connector pot with an outlet drain opening connected to the opening through the base plate to drain to the commode drain; PA1 c) a flush line with an inlet end tied into the water supply line leading into the water tank for the commode and leading through a wall of the multiple connector pot with a water tight seal; PA1 d) an open cup shaped alternate urine receptacle with a flush ring therein, connected to a rigid or semi-rigid drain line with the lower end of the drain line connecting with a limited travel flexible connector. The semi-rigid flexible connector may be made by snapping together identical piping segments that are ball shaped on one end and bell shaped on the other end with each segment having a limited travel. The segments are encased in a flexible sheath to improve appearance. In one embodiment sufficient segments are used to allow movably adjusting the open alternate urinal cup shaped head from about one foot to about three feet from the floor. The lower end of the flexible drain tube threads or otherwise connects through a wall of the multiple connector pot and curves upward to an open end to form a vapor trap. The water flushing line that is furnished water from the inlet water supply valve to the commode tank and comes through the sidewall of the multiple connector pot is about one fourth inch in diameter and threads upward through the vapor trap and through the limited travel flexible connector and through the push button valve to the flush ring in the open cup shaped alternate urinal; PA1 e) flush water and urine coming through the vapor trap and into the multiple connector pot drains through the base plate into the commode drain.
Our unit comprises
There are a number of patents intended to solve the problems we've outlined. The closest prior art we've found appears to be U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,579 issued to Soler Feb. 6, 1979. Our invention differs markedly in that in Soler the drain line from the alternate urine receptacle leads through the commode wall or through the floor to tie into the commode drain or through the wall to tie into the commode vent line. Our unit with a cup shaped urine receptacle and a free standing limited travel drain line or fixed drain line leading through a base plate installed under a commode differs markedly and is a marked improvement over Soler in appearance, ease of use, and ease of installation.